Which Lannister Twin Survived In 'House Of The Dragon'?

House of the Dragon (2022) Season 3 hasn't been easy on anybody, but the Lannister twins, Ser Tyland Lannister and Lord Jason Lannister (both played by Jefferson Hall), seemingly met tragic fates in Episode 1. However, we only saw one of the twins' bodies. Remember the severed head the Winter Wolves tossed at Daemon (Matt Smith)? That was Jason Lannister. Tyland Lannister never got an official death scene, and you know what they say about anything Game of Thrones (2011): No body, not dead... probably. 

That's certainly the case for Tyland, who makes a surprise comeback in House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 5. Not only that, but he crosses paths with Larys (Matthew Needham) and Aegon (Tom Glynn-Carney) in the ruins of Rook's Rest not long after one of Aegon's signature temper tantrums.

Here's what to know about Tyland Lannister's surprise survival and what his plans are for Aegon. 

Tyland Lannister Defies The Odds 

Despite his best efforts to keep the Triarchy under control in House of the Dragon Season 3, Episode 1, Sharako Lohar's (Abigail Thorne) vendetta against the Sea Snake (Steve Toussaint) turns the Battle of the Gullet even more chaotic. As she recklessly pursues him through a narrow channel, she demands that Tyland (along with other members of her crew) get thrown overboard to lighten the boat's load. Getting thrown into the choppy waters in full, metal body armor is the last we see of Tyland, and by all accounts, it didn't look too good for him. 

While most of the non-book readers rightly presumed him dead, he managed to survive. While we don't see it on screen, I'm assuming he got himself out of that heavy armor and swam to safety… somehow. From there, Tyland uses the Lannister name to hire sellswords for protection. Eventually, he finds himself in the ruins of Rook's Rest, where he finds Aegon and Larys. 

Now, Tyland wants to escort them to Lannisport, where Aegon can take refuge with the Lannisters. More importantly, Tyland promises that the Lannisters will continue backing him as king, and they have the money to do so. You know all that gold that Rhaenyra (Emma D'Arcy) has been looking for since seizing King's Landing? Tyland hid it, and now can use it to fund Aegon's fight for the crown.'

With Larys originally planning to smuggle Aegon to the Free Cities until the war passes, it's unclear exactly what will transpire in House of the Dragon. Still, Tyland's inclusion suggests his plan might come to fruition, just with a little time. 

Tyland Lannister Played A Different Role In 'Fire & Blood'

It's an interesting twist for House of the Dragon, especially because almost none of it happens in George R. R. Martin's Fire & Blood. In the book, Tyland never gets his big resurrection story. Instead, he stays in King's Landing during Rhaenyra's takeover. Just like in House of the Dragon, he hides the gold. However, Fire & Blood sees Rhaenyra's men brutally torture him to obtain answers. 

Tyland ain't no snitch, though. 

Without going too heavy into book spoilers, Tyland survives the torture, but not without severe pain and disfigurement. With the gold still missing in King's Landing, it's possible House of the Dragon could still go down this torturous road with Tyland. For his sake, I hope not. But all we know right now is that House of the Dragon has potentially turned him into an even bigger ally to Aegon. Whether that's good or bad comes down to who's side you're on: Team Green or Team Black.